The new year 2019 started on a good note. Snow ringing in and with a positive note, I experienced something which was very profound and brought a new phase in my life. I have been happier, satisfied and full of energy and enthusiasm from that day I received my Gohonzon. Read on to read about it in detail.
I have been chanting regularly since March 2018 after I came to Germany. The mantra that I chant is "Nam myoho renge kyo". You can read more about it in my earlier blog post here:
https://thebluecanvasofwords.blogspot.com/2018/05/nam-myoho-rengo-kyo.html
In November 2018, my group leader of the chanting group along with one more friend came home to ask him if I want the "Gohonzon" (the holy script) in Nichiren Buddhism which most of the members have at home and they chant looking at this script. I was not sure if I was ready. I hadn't done any meetings for studying this branch of Buddhism in depth, the only thing I was sincerely doing was chanting every single day and I got many positive experiences since I had started it. I spoke to them about my dilemma and they told me that chanting is one step closer to receiving it. I can start studying once I got the Gohonzon. I was very happy! I decided to go for it and gave my nod to get one. I signed the form and waited for the day to arrive where I will be receiving the Gohonzon.
I received the holy script, the Gohonzon in a ceremony on 6th January in Freiburg, where 2 other girls also got the script. The script is in Japanese and Chinese language and has the words "Nam myoho Renge Kyo" written in Japanese script. It is handed over to the people in a form of a scroll and the scroll needs to be enshrined in a wooden or plastic temple called Butsudan. I was given Butsudan by my friend, Ms. Shiti Handa whom I met in Karlsruhe in the chanting group. I am very thankful to her for arranging it for me.
A new year Gongyo was planned on 6th January 2019. What is a Gongyo?
I quote from https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/gongyo
A liturgy is a set form of ceremony or pattern of worship. The Buddhist liturgy refers to a formalized service performed by the four-fold sangha and by nearly every denomination and sect in the Buddhist world. It is often done once or more times a day and can vary amongst the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana sects. The liturgy mainly consists of reciting a sutra or passages from a sutra, a mantra, and several gathas. Depending on what practice the practitioner wishes to undertake, it can be done at a temple or at home. The liturgy is almost always performed in front of an object or objects of veneration and accompanied by offerings of light, incense, and food.
Around 80 people had gathered in Freiburg for doing the new year Gongyo, to chant for a prosperous and peaceful new year 2019. I was a part of it along with my group friends from Karlsruhe. The atmosphere was so positive and friendly. There was chanting, talks, songs and experience recitation and snacks at the end. I was congratulated by people whom I saw for the first time, but it felt as if we all are one family. It feels so powerful and a part of such a noble and friendly group. After getting the scroll, as I mentioned above, it is necessary to install it in the wooden temple.
That ceremony took place at my place in presence of 7 other group members who came and helped in installing the script in the Butsudan. We all chanted simultaneously and two senior members unscrolled the script and enshrined it in the Butsudan. We then chanted again all together with the prayers at the beginning and then chanted Daimoku (nam myoho renge kyo) and then the silent prayers.
You can find the sequence of my daily prayers in this video
We had a very nice time chatting, discussing, talking and laughing. I had prepared Spinach Parathas for my German girls and they enjoyed eating it. They wished me a good time, lots of positive and good things for the year 2019. I am not a German, I speak German but I felt a part of them, a part of the chanting group, of Soka Gakkai International Germany (https://www.sgi-d.org/). I felt very positive and was very determined to do chanting regularly now that I had the Gohonzon. I want to make a difference in the life of others and I am sure I will be able to achieve it.
We are not supposed to post a picture of the Gohonzon which one has at home. I found one image on Google. For you to have an idea, how it looks, I am posting it here:
For world peace, for inner revolution and for spreading love, compassion, and humanity.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
I have been chanting regularly since March 2018 after I came to Germany. The mantra that I chant is "Nam myoho renge kyo". You can read more about it in my earlier blog post here:
https://thebluecanvasofwords.blogspot.com/2018/05/nam-myoho-rengo-kyo.html
In November 2018, my group leader of the chanting group along with one more friend came home to ask him if I want the "Gohonzon" (the holy script) in Nichiren Buddhism which most of the members have at home and they chant looking at this script. I was not sure if I was ready. I hadn't done any meetings for studying this branch of Buddhism in depth, the only thing I was sincerely doing was chanting every single day and I got many positive experiences since I had started it. I spoke to them about my dilemma and they told me that chanting is one step closer to receiving it. I can start studying once I got the Gohonzon. I was very happy! I decided to go for it and gave my nod to get one. I signed the form and waited for the day to arrive where I will be receiving the Gohonzon.
I received the holy script, the Gohonzon in a ceremony on 6th January in Freiburg, where 2 other girls also got the script. The script is in Japanese and Chinese language and has the words "Nam myoho Renge Kyo" written in Japanese script. It is handed over to the people in a form of a scroll and the scroll needs to be enshrined in a wooden or plastic temple called Butsudan. I was given Butsudan by my friend, Ms. Shiti Handa whom I met in Karlsruhe in the chanting group. I am very thankful to her for arranging it for me.
A new year Gongyo was planned on 6th January 2019. What is a Gongyo?
I quote from https://educalingo.com/en/dic-en/gongyo
A liturgy is a set form of ceremony or pattern of worship. The Buddhist liturgy refers to a formalized service performed by the four-fold sangha and by nearly every denomination and sect in the Buddhist world. It is often done once or more times a day and can vary amongst the Theravada, Mahayana, and Vajrayana sects. The liturgy mainly consists of reciting a sutra or passages from a sutra, a mantra, and several gathas. Depending on what practice the practitioner wishes to undertake, it can be done at a temple or at home. The liturgy is almost always performed in front of an object or objects of veneration and accompanied by offerings of light, incense, and food.
Around 80 people had gathered in Freiburg for doing the new year Gongyo, to chant for a prosperous and peaceful new year 2019. I was a part of it along with my group friends from Karlsruhe. The atmosphere was so positive and friendly. There was chanting, talks, songs and experience recitation and snacks at the end. I was congratulated by people whom I saw for the first time, but it felt as if we all are one family. It feels so powerful and a part of such a noble and friendly group. After getting the scroll, as I mentioned above, it is necessary to install it in the wooden temple.
That ceremony took place at my place in presence of 7 other group members who came and helped in installing the script in the Butsudan. We all chanted simultaneously and two senior members unscrolled the script and enshrined it in the Butsudan. We then chanted again all together with the prayers at the beginning and then chanted Daimoku (nam myoho renge kyo) and then the silent prayers.
You can find the sequence of my daily prayers in this video
We had a very nice time chatting, discussing, talking and laughing. I had prepared Spinach Parathas for my German girls and they enjoyed eating it. They wished me a good time, lots of positive and good things for the year 2019. I am not a German, I speak German but I felt a part of them, a part of the chanting group, of Soka Gakkai International Germany (https://www.sgi-d.org/). I felt very positive and was very determined to do chanting regularly now that I had the Gohonzon. I want to make a difference in the life of others and I am sure I will be able to achieve it.
We are not supposed to post a picture of the Gohonzon which one has at home. I found one image on Google. For you to have an idea, how it looks, I am posting it here:
For world peace, for inner revolution and for spreading love, compassion, and humanity.
Nam Myoho Renge Kyo
छान. कोणत्याही भाषेतले असले आणि प्रतिमा कोणतीही असली तरी ती आपल्याला भावणे आणि आपल्याला समाधान वाटणे, आपल्या चित्तवृत्ती शांत होणे, आपल्यातल्या कमतरता दूर करता येणे हेच साध्य असते.
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